Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
name	Kiss
landscape	yes
background	group_or_band
genre	Hard rock, heavy metal, glam metal
origin	New York City, United States
years active	1973–present
label	Casablanca, Mercury, Roadrunner, Kiss Records
associated acts	E.S.P., Frehley's Comet, Union, Vinnie Vincent Invasion, Wicked Lester, White Tiger, Black 'n Blue, Badlands, Grand Funk Railroad
website
current members	Paul StanleyGene SimmonsEric SingerTommy Thayer
past members	Ace FrehleyPeter CrissEric CarrVinnie VincentMark St. JohnBruce Kulick

Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Easily identified by its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits and pyrotechnics. Kiss has been awarded 24 gold albums to date, the most of any American rock band. The band has sold more than 40 million albums in the United States, of which 19 million have been certified by the RIAA, and their worldwide sales exceeds 100 million albums.

The 1973–'80 lineup of Paul Stanley (vocals and rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals and bass guitar), Ace Frehley (lead guitar and vocals), and Peter Criss (drums, percussion and vocals) is the most successful and identifiable. With their makeup and costumes, they took on the personas of comic book-style characters: Starchild (Stanley), The Demon (Simmons), Spaceman or Space Ace (Frehley), and Catman (Criss). The band explains that the fans were the ones who ultimately chose their makeup designs. Paul Stanley became the "Starchild" because of his tendency to be referred to as the "starry-eyed lover" and "hopeless romantic." The "Demon" makeup reflected Simmons's cynicism and dark sense of humor, as well as his affection for comic books. Ace Frehley's "Spaceman" makeup was a reflection of his fondness for science fiction and supposedly being from another planet. Peter Criss' "Catman" makeup was in accordance with the belief that Criss had nine lives because of his rough childhood in Brooklyn. Because of creative differences, both Criss and Frehley were out of the group by 1982. The band's commercial fortunes had also waned considerably by that point. Buoyed by a wave of Kiss nostalgia in the 1990s, the band announced a reunion of the original lineup (with makeup) in 1996. The resulting Kiss Alive/Worldwide/Lost Cities/Reunion Tour was the top-grossing act of 1996 and 1997. Criss and Frehley have since left Kiss again, but Kiss continues with Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, respectively. The band continues to perform with makeup, while Stanley and Simmons have remained the only two constant members.

Kiss has been named to many "Top" lists. They include Number 10 on VH1's '100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock', 9th on 'The Greatest Metal Bands' list by MTV, #1 on Hit Paraders's "Top 100 Live Bands", 56th on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists Of All Time", 2nd on Digital Dream Door's "Best Hair Metal Bands", and 26th on Gibson's "50 Greatest American Rock Bands".

Kiss was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, ten years after becoming eligible. However, on December 15, 2009, it was announced that Kiss did not make it in.

History

Early years and struggles (1971–1975)

Kiss traces their roots to Wicked Lester, a New York City-based rock and roll band led by co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. Wicked Lester, with its eclectic mixture of musical styles, never achieved any success. They recorded one album, which was shelved by Epic Records, and played a handful of live shows. Simmons and Stanley, feeling that a new musical direction was needed, abandoned Wicked Lester in 1972 and began forming a new group.''

In late 1972, Simmons and Stanley came across an ad in the East Coast version of ''Rolling Stone'' placed by Peter Criss, a veteran drummer from the New York scene, who was previously in bands called Lips and Chelsea. Criss auditioned for, and joined the new version of Wicked Lester. The trio focused on a much harder style of rock than Wicked Lester played. Inspired by the theatrics of Alice Cooper and the New York Dolls, they also began experimenting with their image by wearing makeup and various outfits. In November 1972, the trio played a showcase for Epic Records A&R; director Don Ellis, in an effort to secure a record deal. Although the performance went well, Ellis hated the group's image and music. On top of that, as he was leaving, he was vomited on by Criss's brother.

In early January 1973, the group added lead guitarist Ace Frehley. Frehley impressed the group with his first audition, although he showed up wearing two different sneakers, one red and one orange. A few weeks after Frehley joined, the Wicked Lester name was dropped and the band became Kiss. Stanley came up with the name as he, Simmons, and Criss were driving around New York City. Criss mentioned that he was in a band called Lips, so Stanley said something to the effect of "What about Kiss?" Frehley created the now-iconic logo, making the "SS" look like lightning bolts, when he went to write the new band name over Wicked Lester on a poster outside the club where they were going to play. The runic letters happened to look similar to the insignia of the Nazi SS, a symbol that is now illegal to display in Germany. Therefore, to avoid controversy, since 1979 most of the band's album covers and merchandise in Germany have used a modified version of the logo instead, with the SS represented by two backwards Zs.

The band's name – which is often spelled in all capital letters – has been rumored to have many secret meanings, among them an acronym for "Knights In Satan's Service" and "Kids In Satan's Service" but has been shown to be false.

The first Kiss performance was on January 30, 1973, for an audience of three at the Popcorn Club (renamed Coventry shortly afterward) in Queens. For the first three gigs, January 30 – February 1, they wore little to no makeup; the iconic makeup designs associated with Kiss made their debut during the March 9–10 shows at The Daisy in Amityville, NY. On March 13 of that year, the band recorded a five-song demo tape with producer Eddie Kramer. Former TV director Bill Aucoin, who had seen the group at a handful of showcase concerts in the summer of 1973, offered to become the band’s manager in mid-October. Kiss agreed, with the condition that Aucoin get them signed to a recording contract within two weeks. On November 1, 1973, Kiss became the first act signed to former teen pop singer and Buddah Records executive Neil Bogart's new label Casablanca Records.

The band entered Bell Sound Studios in New York City on October 10, 1973 to begin recording their first album. On December 31 the band had their official industry premier at the Academy of Music in New York City, opening for Blue Öyster Cult. It was at this concert that Simmons accidentally set his hair (which was coated in hairspray) ablaze for the first of many times while performing his inaugural firebreathing stunt.

Kiss' first tour started on February 5, 1974 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. The band’s self-titled debut album, ''Kiss'', was released on February 18. Casablanca and Kiss promoted the album heavily throughout the spring and summer of 1974. On February 19, the band performed "Nothin' to Lose," "Firehouse," and "Black Diamond" for what would become their first national television appearance, on ABC's ''Dick Clark's In Concert'' (aired March 29). On April 29, the band performed "Firehouse" on ''The Mike Douglas Show''. This broadcast included Simmons's first televised interview, a conversation with Douglas in which Simmons declared himself "evil incarnate," eliciting titters from an uncomfortable and largely confused studio audience. Fellow guest Totie Fields remarked that it would be humorous if, beneath all the make-up, Simmons was "just a nice Jewish boy." Simmons deftly parried this remark with neither a confirmation nor denial, by saying simply, "You should only know." To which she responded, "I do. You can't hide the hook," a reference to the Jewish nose.

Despite the publicity and constant touring, ''Kiss'' initially sold just 75,000 copies. Meanwhile, the group and Casablanca Records were losing money quickly. The band (while touring) stopped in Los Angeles in August 1974 to begin recording their second album, ''Hotter Than Hell,'' which was released on October 22, 1974. The only single, "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll," failed to chart and the album stalled at No. 100.

With ''Hotter Than Hell'' quickly dropping off the charts, Kiss was pulled from their tour to quickly record a new album. Casablanca head Neil Bogart stepped in to produce the next album, trading in the murky, distorted sound of ''Hotter Than Hell'' for a cleaner and slightly poppier sound. ''Dressed to Kill'', released on March 19, 1975, fared slightly better commercially than ''Hotter Than Hell''. It also contained what later became the band's trademark song, "Rock and Roll All Nite".

Although Kiss albums had not proved to be big sellers, the band was quickly gaining a reputation as a top-flight live act. Kiss concerts featured things such as Simmons spitting "blood" (primarily yogurt and food coloring) or "breathing fire" (spitting flammable liquid at a torch); Frehley soloing as his guitar burst into flames (light and smoke bombs placed inside the guitar); Criss's elevating drum riser that emitted sparks; Stanley's Townshend-style guitar smashing; and pyrotechnics throughout the show.

By late 1975, Casablanca was almost bankrupt and Kiss was in danger of losing their record contract. Both parties desperately needed a commercial breakthrough if they were to survive. That breakthrough came in an unlikely form – a double live album.

Rise to prominence (1975–1978)

Kiss wanted to express the excitement felt at their concerts (which their studio albums had so far failed to do), with their first live album. Released on September 10, 1975, ''Alive!'' achieved Gold status and spawned Kiss' first top 40 single, a live version of "Rock and Roll All Nite." It was the first version of "Rock and Roll All Nite" with a guitar solo, and this recording has come to represent the definitive version of the song; supplanting the studio original (the live version is the basis of most covers, such as the cover by Poison in 1987). In recent years the band admitted that additional audience noise had been added to the album, not to deceive fans, but to add more "excitement and realism" to the show.

The success of ''Alive!'' not only brought Kiss the breakthrough they had been seeking, but arguably saved Casablanca, which was close to bankruptcy. Following this success, Kiss partnered with producer Bob Ezrin, who had previously worked with Alice Cooper. The result was ''Destroyer'' (released March 15, 1976), Kiss's most musically ambitious studio album to date. ''Destroyer'', with its rather intricate production (utilizing an orchestra, choir, and numerous tape effects), was a departure from the raw sound of the first three studio albums. Album art was designed by Ken Kelly, who had drawn Tarzan, Conan the Barbarian and who also worked with acts such as Rainbow and Manowar. While the album sold well initially and became the group's second gold album, it quickly dropped down the charts. Only when the ballad "Beth" was released as a single did the album's sales rebound. "Beth" was a #7 hit for the band, and its success revived both the album (which achieved platinum status by the end of 1976) and ticket sales for Kiss.

In October 1976, Kiss appeared on ''The Paul Lynde Halloween Special'', lip-synching "Detroit Rock City", "Beth", and "King of the Night Time World". For many teenagers, this was their first exposure to Kiss' dramatic appearance. The show was co-produced by Bill Aucoin. In addition to the three performances, Kiss was the subject of a brief comedic "interview" conducted by Paul Lynde himself. This included Lynde noting, when hearing the member's first names, "Oh, I love a good religious group."

Two more highly successful studio albums were released in less than a year—''Rock and Roll Over'' (November 11, 1976) and ''Love Gun'' (June 30, 1977). A second live album, ''Alive II'', was released on October 14, 1977. All three albums were certified platinum upon or soon after their release. Between 1976 and 1978, Kiss earned $17.7 million from record royalties and music publishing. A 1977 Gallup poll named Kiss the most popular band in America. In Japan, Kiss performed five sold-out shows at Budokan Hall, breaking the previous record of four held by The Beatles.

In May 1977, Kiss made their first of many comic appearances in ''Howard the Duck'' issue 12 published by Marvel. This served as a precursor to many more Kiss-related comics initially published by Marvel.

The first of what is now many Kiss greatest hits albums, ''Double Platinum'', was issued on April 2, 1978. This double album included many remixed versions of their hits, as well as "Strutter '78," a re-recorded version of one of the group's signature songs. At Neil Bogart's request, the song was played in a style similar to the then-popular disco music.

During this period, Kiss merchandise became a substantial source of income for the group. Some of the products released included a pair of comic books issued by Marvel (the first one of which contained ink mixed with actual blood donated by the group), a pinball machine, Kiss dolls, "Kiss Your Face Makeup" kits, Halloween masks, board games, and many other pieces of memorabilia. Membership in the Kiss Army, the band's fan club, was in the six figures. Between 1977 and 1979, worldwide merchandise sales (in-store and on tour) reached an estimated $100 million.

Four solo albums on the same day (1978)

Kiss was at their commercial peak by 1978. ''Alive II'' was the band's fourth platinum album in just under two years, and the ensuing tour had the highest average attendance (13,550) in the group's history. In addition, Kiss' gross income for 1977 was $10.2 million. The group, along with creative manager Bill Aucoin, sought to take the band to the next level of popularity. To that end, an ambitious, two-pronged strategy was devised for 1978.

The first part involved the simultaneous release of four solo albums from the members of Kiss. Although Kiss has claimed that the solo albums were intended to ease rising tensions within the band, their 1976 record contract did in fact call for four solo records, with each of them counting as half an album toward the group's five-record commitment. While each album was very much a solo effort (none of the group appeared on another's album), they were all released and marketed as Kiss albums (with similar cover art and poster inserts). It was the first time that all current members of a rock band had released solo albums on the same day.

For the band members, it was a chance to showcase their individual musical styles and tastes outside of Kiss, and in some cases to collaborate with contemporary artists. Stanley's and Frehley's albums stuck pretty closely to the successful hard rock style that Kiss had utilized, while Criss' album featured an R&B; style and was loaded with ballads. Simmons's was the most eclectic of the four. It featured hard rock, ballads, Beatles-influenced pop, and ended with a straight cover of "When You Wish upon a Star" (from the film ''Pinocchio''). Simmons' many collaborators included Aerosmith's Joe Perry, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, the Doobie Brothers' Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, disco diva Donna Summer, Janis Ian, Helen Reddy, Bob Seger, and then-girlfriend Cher.

The Kiss solo albums were released on September 18, 1978. The marketing blitz behind the albums was unprecedented. Casablanca announced it was shipping five million total copies of the albums (guaranteeing instant platinum status), and they spent $2.5 million marketing them. All four solo albums made it into the Top 50 of the ''Billboard'' album chart. However, the massive preorder for these albums was soon followed by an equally enormous attempt to ship them back to the record company, followed by the subsequent discounting of these albums once sales had (very quickly) peaked. The albums were also the first Kiss albums to be seen in the "bargain bins." All four solo albums sold about as many copies as ''Love Gun'' alone. Of the four, Frehley's album was the most successful (although not by a huge margin) and spawned the only radio top 20 hit (Russ Ballard's composition "New York Groove", originally performed by Hello).

The second part of Kiss' and Aucoin's plan called for the band to appear in a film that would cement their image as larger than life superheroes. Filming commenced in the spring of 1978. Although the project was proposed to the band as a cross between ''A Hard Day's Night'' and ''Star Wars'', the final results fell far short of those expectations. The script underwent numerous rewrites, and the band (particularly Criss and Frehley) grew increasingly frustrated with the filmmaking process.

The final product, entitled ''Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park'', debuted on NBC on October 28, 1978. Despite scathing reviews, it was one of the highest-viewed TV films of the year. It was released theatrically, after many changes, outside the U.S. in 1979 under the title ''Attack of the Phantoms''. While later interviews with band members would have them talk about their filmmaking experience with a mix of humorous embarrassment and regret as to the finished product, they were unhappy with the final product. They felt that the film ended up portraying them more as clowns than superheroes. The artistic failure of the film led to a rift between the band and Aucoin. It has been only sporadically available on home video; currently, a version of the film is available on a compilation DVD entitled ''Kissology Volume Two: 1978–1991''.

Late makeup years and decline (1978–1983)

Kiss' first album of new material in two years, ''Dynasty'' (May 22, 1979), continued their platinum streak. The disco-flavored "I Was Made for Lovin' You" became one of the band's biggest hit singles to date. Session drummer Anton Fig did almost all the percussion on the album while Criss recovered from an auto accident. Criss did play the drums on the song "Dirty Livin'", on which he also sang the lead.

Billed as "The Return of Kiss," the Dynasty Tour was expected by Kiss and their management to build on the success of previous tours. Plans were drawn up for a Kiss-themed traveling amusement park, called "Kiss World", but were abandoned because of the immense costs involved. However, "The Return of Kiss" saw a marked decline in attendance.

The crowds on this tour were much younger than previous audiences had been, with many pre-adolescent children in Kiss makeup with their mothers and fathers (who were sometimes wearing the makeup themselves) in tow at most concerts. Kiss themselves did little to dissuade this new fan base, donning colorful costumes that reinforced a cartoonish image for these younger fans.

The fans were unaware of the dissension within the band. One very public indication of the heightened friction within the group was an infamous October 31, 1979 interview on Tom Snyder's late-night ''The Tomorrow Show''. During the episode, a visibly irritated Simmons and Stanley try to contain the bombastic (and inebriated) Frehley, whose non-stop laughter and joking overshadowed the content and conversation that takes place between Snyder and the rest of the band. Criss made repeated references to his large gun collection, to the chagrin of Simmons.

By the end of the ''Dynasty'' tour in December 1979, tensions between Criss and the rest of the band were at an all-time high. His drumming skills had noticeably eroded, and he even intentionally slowed down or stopped playing altogether during some concerts. The final show of the tour (December 16, 1979) was the last time Criss performed with the group (until the original foursome reunited in 1996), although he remained an official member for nearly six more months.

Fig also played all the drums on the next album ''Unmasked'', although he was uncredited and Criss appeared on the cover art. Showcasing a slick, contemporary pop sound, ''Unmasked'' (May 20, 1980) had the dubious distinction of being the first Kiss album since ''Destroyer'' to fail to achieve platinum sales. Soon after the album's release, Criss's departure was officially announced.

The band auditioned dozens of replacements for Criss in June 1980, settling on a little-known drummer-guitarist-singer from Brooklyn named Paul Caravello (born July 12, 1950), who was given the stage name Eric Carr. He was Kiss' first replacement member. In his "Fox" makeup, he was introduced on ABC's ''Kids Are People Too!'', and debuted with the group on July 25, 1980 at the Palladium Theatre in New York City. This was Kiss's only U.S. show in support of the album. The band's 1980 tour of Australia and New Zealand, on the other hand, was one of the biggest in their history, as they played to sold-out crowds, and received overwhelmingly positive press coverage.

For their next album, the band worked with producer Bob Ezrin, with whom Kiss had found success on ''Destroyer''. Early press reports indicated that the new album would be a return to the hard rock style that had originally brought the band success. What was released instead was 1981's ''Music from "The Elder"'', a concept album featuring medieval horns, strings, harps, and synthesizers.

The album was presented as a soundtrack to a film that was never made, making it difficult to follow the storyline. To make matters worse, having received negative feedback following their record company's preview of the album, Kiss altered the record's track sequence in most countries to emphasize potential singles "The Oath" and "A World Without Heroes," which all but guaranteed the inability of listeners to understand the already muddled storyline. Once released, fan reaction to ''The Elder'' was harsh; it failed to achieve gold status and peaked at #75 on the Billboard Album Chart.

The band made only two appearances in support of the new album, both in January 1982. One was a performance on the ABC late-night variety program ''Fridays'', while the second was a lip-synched performance that was broadcast via satellite during Italy's Sanremo Music Festival. Kiss also performed "I", and "A World Without Heroes" on ''Solid Gold''.

Absent from the satellite performance was Frehley, who had become increasingly frustrated with Kiss' new musical direction. Upset with the band's decision to record a concept album (''Music from "The Elder"''), he did not actively participate in the album's creation, only providing lead vocals to one track, "Dark Light". He recorded his guitar parts at his home studio in Wilton, Connecticut and mailed them to Ezrin. Another source of frustration for Frehley was that with the departure of Criss, and with Carr not being an equal partner in the band, he was often outvoted 2-to-1 on group decisions. In June 1982, Frehley's departure from the band was negotiated, although he did not officially leave until December, and remained a business partner with Simmons and Stanley until 1985.

Simmons stated in his autobiography ''Kiss and Make-Up'' that Eddie Van Halen wanted to fill Frehley's spot. Simmons and Eddie's brother Alex convinced Eddie to remain with Van Halen. (Eddie was anxious to break up Van Halen because of rising tensions with lead singer David Lee Roth, who left the band soon thereafter.)

Soon after, Kiss made major changes to their business dealings – chief among them was severing ties with their manager of nine years, Bill Aucoin, and cutting back on their unwieldy organizational tree. Although Frehley had already decided to leave the band, he was pictured on the covers of 1982's ''Killers'' and ''Creatures of the Night'', although he did not participate in the recording of either album.

''Creatures of the Night'' (October 13, 1982) was Kiss's heaviest album to date, and although it fared better than ''Music from "The Elder"'', it peaked at #45 on the charts and was not certified gold until 1994. In Frehley's absence, Kiss utilized a number of guitarists for the recording of the album, including Vinnie Vincent (born Vincent John Cusano on August 6, 1952).

Frehley's last appearance with the band (until the original foursome reunited in 1996) was on the video for the single "I Love It Loud", which was co-written by Vincent. Frehley also appeared on the cover of the original ''Creatures of the Night'' album artwork. (When the album was re-mixed and re-released in 1985 with a non-makeup cover and a slightly different song order, to reflect the band's roster change and abandonment of their make-up and costuming, Vincent was again absent from the album cover, as then-current lead guitarist, Bruce Kulick, appeared there instead. The liner notes accompanying the re-mixed LP, however, have credited both Ace Frehley and Vinnie Vincent with lead guitar performances on the ''Creatures of the Night'' album.)

Vincent officially replaced Frehley as lead guitarist in December 1982, as the band embarked on its 10th Anniversary Tour.

Vincent originally wanted to use his birth name in the band but this was vetoed by Gene Simmons on the grounds that it sounded "too ethnic": specifically, according to Simmons, "it sounded like a fruit vendor"; Simmons went on to note that "fairly or unfairly, rock and roll is about image". Vincent then suggested the name "Mick Fury", but this was also disallowed. Simmons later suggested the name change to ''Vinnie Vincent''. Vincent started actively pushing to join Kiss as a full member. Despite the misgivings that both Simmons and Stanley harbored about his personality, Vincent was taken into the band. Stanley designed a character, "The Wiz" also known as "The Egyptian Warrior", and makeup centered around an Egyptian ankh, for Vincent. According to Gene Simmons's autobiography ''Kiss and Make-Up'', Vincent's Kiss persona was solely "The Wiz". A persona as "The Ankh Warrior" or the like, is not mentioned in the book at all.

Unmasking and rebound (1983–1996)

Sensing it was time for a change, Kiss made the decision to abandon their trademark makeup and costumes. They officially appeared in public without makeup for the first time on a September 18, 1983 appearance on MTV, which coincided with the release of the band's new album, ''Lick It Up''. The tour showing off the new album and the unmasked band members started off at Lisbon, Portugal, on October 11, 1983, at Pavilhão Dramático de Cascais, their first concert ever without makeup since early 1973.

''Lick It Up'' became Kiss' first gold record in three years, but the tour was even more sparsely attended than the one for ''Creatures of the Night''. Vincent did not get along with Simmons and Stanley, and he left the band at the conclusion of the tour in March 1984. Vincent's replacement was Mark St. John (born Mark Norton on February 7, 1956 in Hollywood, California), a session player and guitar tutor.

With St. John on board, Kiss released the glam metal album ''Animalize'' on September 13, 1984. ''Animalize'' followed the success of ''Lick It Up'', and with the video for "Heaven's on Fire" being played often on MTV, ''Animalize'' was the band's best-selling record in America during the decade. With the success of the album and subsequent tour, Kiss had recaptured some of their earlier glory (though not to the level of their '70s heyday). St. John, however, was soon taken ill with reactive arthritis during tour rehearsals, and only performed at a handful of shows. St. John was fired from Kiss in December 1984 and was replaced by Bruce Kulick (born December 12, 1953 in Brooklyn). Kulick was Kiss' fourth lead guitarist in less than three years, but he stayed with the band for twelve years. Kulick was one of the band's longest-running members, with the longest continuous tenure of anyone other than Simmons and Stanley, but he never wore the band's iconic makeup.

One of the first concerts Kulick played was in Detroit, Michigan's Cobo Hall. It was filmed for the MTV special ''Animalize Live''. This was later released as the band's first home video (''Animalize Live Uncensored'').

The lineup of Stanley, Simmons, Carr, and Kulick turned out to be the most stable since the original, and for the rest of the 1980s Kiss released a series of platinum albums—1985's ''Asylum'', 1987's ''Crazy Nights'' and the 1988 greatest hits compilation ''Smashes, Thrashes & Hits''. ''Crazy Nights'', in particular, was one of Kiss' most successful albums overseas. The single "Crazy Crazy Nights" reached #4 on the singles chart in Britain, the highest showing to date for a Kiss song.

Kiss ended the '80s with the October 1989 release ''Hot in the Shade''. Although the album failed to achieve platinum status, it spawned the February 1990 hit ballad "Forever", co-written by Michael Bolton. Peaking at #8, it was the group's highest-charting single since "Beth" and was the band's second Top 10 single.

During these non-makeup years, Kiss struggled with their identity and fan base. Simmons, arguably the dominating force in Kiss during the '70s, became less involved with the group in the '80s as he pursued outside interests; most notably, a film career. After the band's unmasking, he struggled with the loss of the Demon persona. During this time, Stanley became the driving force in Kiss, as well as their most prominent member.

In February 1991, the band decided to once again enlist Bob Ezrin to produce their first album of the 1990s. Before recording could begin in earnest, however, tragedy struck. In March 1991, it was discovered that Eric Carr had a tumor on his heart. It was successfully removed in an April surgery, but more tumors were soon discovered in his lungs. Carr received chemotherapy and was pronounced cancer-free in July. However, in September he suffered the first of two cerebral hemorrhages. He died on November 24, 1991 at the age of 41 (the same day as Freddie Mercury).

Though devastated, Kiss continued, bringing in veteran drummer Eric Singer (born Eric Mensinger on May 12, 1958 in Cleveland, Ohio). Singer had played with Paul Stanley previously, as part of Stanley's backing band during a 1989 solo tour. Singer also played with performers such as Black Sabbath, Gary Moore, Lita Ford, Badlands and Alice Cooper.

Kiss released ''Revenge'' on May 19, 1992. It featured a leaner, harder-edged sound, as indicated by the first single, "Unholy". In a surprise move, Kiss enlisted the aid of Vinnie Vincent for songwriting duties. The album debuted in the Top 10 and went gold. Kiss embarked on a brief club tour of the U.S. in the spring of 1992, before beginning an American arena tour in September 1992. Kiss followed with the release of ''Alive III'' (May 14, 1993), which was recorded during the ''Revenge'' tour. Four days later, Kiss were inducted into the RockWalk of Fame in Hollywood.

During this period, Kiss nostalgia started to pick up steam. June 1994 saw the release of ''Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved'', a compilation album featuring popular artists of the era putting their own spin on Kiss songs. The result was an eclectic mix, featuring Lenny Kravitz's funky version of "Deuce" (with Stevie Wonder on harmonica), a ska punk version of "Detroit Rock City" by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Garth Brooks' straightforward take on "Hard Luck Woman," with Kiss as his backup band. In 1995, the group released the book ''Kisstory'', a 440-page, , detailed chronicle of the group's history to that point. That same year, the band embarked on a unique and well-received Worldwide Kiss Convention Tour. The conventions were all-day events, featuring displays of vintage Kiss stage outfits, instruments, and memorabilia, performances by Kiss cover bands, and dealers selling Kiss merchandise from every stage of the band's career. Kiss appeared live at the conventions, conducted question and answer sessions, signed autographs and performed a two-hour acoustic set composed mostly of spontaneous fan requests. On the first U.S. date (June 17, 1995), Peter Criss appeared onstage with Kiss to sing "Hard Luck Woman" and "Nothin' to Lose." It was the first time Criss had performed publicly with the band in nearly 16 years.

On August 9, 1995, Kiss joined the long line of musicians to perform on ''MTV Unplugged''. The band contacted Criss and Frehley and invited them to participate in the event. Both joined Kiss on stage for several songs at the end of the set–"Beth," "2000 Man," "Nothin' to Lose," and "Rock and Roll All Nite."

While Kiss continued to exist publicly as Simmons, Stanley, Kulick, and Singer, arrangements for a reunion of the original lineup were in the works. These efforts culminated with a public event as dramatic as any the band had staged since their 1983 unmasking on MTV.

Reunion (1996–2001)

With that statement on February 28, 1996, Tupac Shakur introduced the original Kiss lineup (in full makeup and ''Love Gun''-era stage outfits), to a rousing ovation at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards. On April 16, the band held a press conference aboard the in New York, where they announced their plans for a full-fledged reunion tour, with the help of new manager Doc McGhee. The conference, emceed by Conan O'Brien, was simulcast to 58 countries. On April 20, nearly 40,000 tickets for the tour's first show sold out in 47 minutes.

The first public concert featuring the newly reunited Kiss was an hour-long warm up show on June 15 for the annual KROQ Weenie Roast in Irvine, California, during which the band nearly ignited the stage of the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater. On June 28, the Kiss Alive/Worldwide Tour began at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan in front of a sold-out crowd of 39,867 fans. The tour lasted for 192 shows over 11 months and earned $43.6 million, making Kiss the top-drawing concert act of 1996. The average attendance of 13,737 is the highest in the group's history. The title track received a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance. The Psycho Circus Tour opened at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on Halloween night 1998, and was simulcast on FM radio across the U.S. It proved to be another success, and was historic for being the first to ever incorporate 3-D visuals into a stage show.

On August 11, 1999, Kiss was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in the "Recording Industry" category. August 13 saw the nationwide premiere of a Kiss-themed motion picture, titled ''Detroit Rock City''. The film takes place in 1978, and focuses on four teenagers (featuring Edward Furlong) willing to do anything to score tickets for a sold-out Kiss show in Detroit.

The next month, the group worked in collaboration with World Championship Wrestling to produce a Kiss-themed wrestler known as The Demon whose face was painted to resemble Simmons. The group performed God of Thunder live on ''WCW Monday Nitro'' to debut the character. The band got $500,000 for the one-night, one-song performance. The character was short-lived, as all ties to Kiss were cut by WCW when its head, Eric Bischoff was relieved of his duties in September of that year.

Kiss announced in early 2000 that they would be launching a U.S. Farewell Tour in the summer, which was to be the band's last, although it was last for the original line up; the tour kicked off on March 12, 2000. The group quickly added dates to the tour, which ran through April 2001. 2000 also saw the release of a computer game, ''Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child''.

Post-reunion (2001–2008)

On the eve of the Japanese and Australian leg of the Farewell Tour on January 31, 2001, Criss suddenly left the band once again, reportedly unhappy with his salary. Taking his place was previous Kiss drummer Eric Singer who, in a move that was controversial among longtime fans, assumed Criss's Cat Man persona as the Farewell Tour continued.

With the band scheduled to call it a day supposedly by early 2001, a career-encompassing collection entitled ''The Box Set'' (94 tracks on five CDs) was released in November of that year, while the summer saw perhaps the most outrageous item of Kiss merchandise yet – the Kiss Kasket. In introducing the Kiss Kasket, Simmons quipped, "I love livin', but this makes the alternative look pretty damn good."

On December 4, 2001, Kiss was one of the honorees at the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences ("The Recording Academy") Heroes Award ceremony, at the NARAS New York Chapter. NARAS has 12 chapters throughout the United States, hence 12 ceremonies throughout the year, with the honorees each being honored by the chapter closest to their residence. By receiving this honor, which NARAS has renamed the "Recording Academy Honors," Kiss effectively received NARAS' second-highest career honor, right behind the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award.

Kiss was relatively quiet through the rest of the year, but 2002 started with some controversy as Simmons took part in a controversial interview on National Public Radio with host Terry Gross. In February 2002, Kiss (with Singer on drums and Frehley on lead guitar) performed during the Closing Ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. This was Frehley's final performance with Kiss.

On March 6, 2002, Kiss performed a private concert at a resort in Trelawny, Jamaica. Frehley, who was no longer under contract, did not perform with the group. He was replaced by Tommy Thayer, who donned Frehley's Spaceman makeup and costume for his first live appearance with Kiss. That month, the band (with Thayer) taped an appearance on the American sitcom ''That '70s Show''. The episode, "That '70s Kiss Show", aired in August 2002. Thayer again performed with the group in April 2002, when Kiss performed "Detroit Rock City" (with pre-recorded music and live vocals) for an appearance on ''Dick Clark's American Bandstand 50th Anniversary'' show, which aired on May 3.

In February 2003, Kiss traveled to Australia and recorded ''Kiss Symphony: Alive IV'' with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Etihad Stadium (then known as Telstra Dome) in Melbourne. Thayer once again replaced Frehley, while Peter Criss returned to the group. This album was the first released on Sanctuary Records, which has since been sold to Universal Music Group – owners of the rest of Kiss' catalog.

Despite claims made prior to the Farewell Tour that it would be the group's last, Kiss announced a co-headlining tour with Aerosmith in 2003. Frehley announced that his departure from the band was permanent, stating that he believed the Farewell Tour would be Kiss's last, and that he did not want to open for Aerosmith. He was permanently replaced by Thayer, as Kiss moved into a post-reunion phase that saw the band easing into a new line-up, permanently featuring Thayer as "Space Ace" and Singer as "the Catman". On this tour, still featuring Peter Criss, the group introduced the "Platinum" tickets package, with the most expensive packages costing $1,000. This package included a seat in the first five rows, a meet-and-greet with Kiss after their performance, and a photograph with the band. The tour earned more than $64 million in 2003, which ranked #7 for the year.

Simmons and Stanley did not renew Criss' contract when it expired in March 2004. Criss, on his website, stated that "No one, again, no one has called me, or my attorney about an extension for future touring. As a founding member I find this to be disrespectful to me, and to the fans that have made us one of the biggest bands in the world." Criss stated in a radio interview in 2004 with Eddie Trunk that Simmons and Stanley were going to start a new Kiss, and thought he was getting too old to play for two hours (even though Criss is only 4 years older than Simmons). Criss was permanently replaced by Singer at this point.

During the summer of 2004, Kiss headlined the Rock the Nation 2004 World Tour, with Poison as the opening act. The tour ended in August with a sold-out show in Mexico City. Selected dates on the tour were filmed for the ''Rock the Nation Live!'' concert DVD, released on December 13, 2005. Stanley, who had been experiencing increasing difficulty with his hip, had his mobility limited during the tour. He has already had two hip surgeries performed, with more likely in the future.

After the conclusion of the Rock the Nation Tour, Kiss performed only sporadically for a number of years. The group played two shows in 2005, and another six in 2006. Four of the 2006 shows were July concerts in Japan, including two dates (July 22 and 23) as a headlining act at the 2006 Udo Music Festival. Kiss performed four July 2007 concerts, three of which were dubbed the Hit 'N Run Tour. Prior to the final show on July 27, Stanley was hospitalized with an extremely rapid heartbeat. In his absence, Kiss performed in concert as a trio for the first time ever. This was the first Kiss concert Stanley had missed during his then 34-year tenure with the group.

Kiss (along with Queen, Def Leppard, and Judas Priest) were honored at the inaugural "VH1 Rock Honors" event, held May 25, 2006 in Las Vegas. On April 9, 2006, ''The Associated Press'' announced the event by saying "the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame looks to be getting some competition." A tribute band, consisting of Rob Zombie (vocals), Slash (guitar), Scott Ian (bass), and Supernova bandmates Tommy Lee (drums) and Gilby Clarke (guitar), performed "God of Thunder" with Ace Frehley.

In June 2006, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley attended the opening of the Kiss Coffeehouse in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. On October 15, 2006, Simmons, Stanley, and Criss were inaugural inductees into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, along with performers such as Neil Diamond, Billy Joel, Louis Armstrong, The Ramones and Tony Bennett.

Stanley released his second solo album, ''Live to Win'', on October 24, 2006, and undertook a brief solo tour in support. On October 31 the same year, the group released ''Kissology Volume One: 1974–1977'', the first of 10 possible DVD sets featuring complete concert footage, interviews, and never-before-seen clips. As of January 2007, the set is certified 5X platinum in the United States. A second volume was released on August 14, 2007. It was certified 6X Platinum by the R.I.A.A. on October 24. What seemed to be the final entry, ''Kissology Volume Three: 1992–2000'', was released on December 18, 2007 and has been certified 8X Platinum by the R.I.A.A. Stanley insisted that there are more volumes forthcoming in an interview with Norwegian broadcasting in the summer of 2008, but no details have been given.

In April 2007, tragedy struck Kiss again. Their former guitarist, Mark St. John, died from an apparent cerebral hemorrhage at age 51. After being fired from Kiss in 1984, St. John formed the short-lived glam metal group White Tiger. In 1990 he briefly collaborated with Peter Criss in a band called The Keep, which only performed once and released no recordings. St. John largely dropped out of public view in later years, but did make occasional appearances at Kiss fan conventions.

Though Kiss has been eligible for enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (whose rules state that an act is eligible 25 years after its first release) since 1999/2000, they were not nominated until 2009. While this snub displeases some fans, Stanley and Simmons maintain that it is meaningless to them. Nevertheless, a group of about 200 Kiss fans held a protest rally in front of the Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio on August 5, 2006. It was the first known organized demonstration seeking the induction of a band into the Hall. On December 15, 2009, it was announced that Kiss would not be among the Hall's 2010 inductees.

In 2007, a new comic book series featuring the band was released by the Kiss Comics Group in association with Platinum Studios. Entitled ''Kiss 4K: Legends Never Die'', the first issue came out in a regular size and a giant 1.5' x 2.5' size, dubbed the Destroyer edition. Kiss were scheduled to play in Whistler in mid September, but the concert plans were cancelled late August because of passport problems.

Then, in 2008 saw the band picking up the pace, doing their first proper tour of Europe for nearly a decade. On January 30, 2008, guitarist and vocalist Paul Stanley confirmed that Kiss would launch the Kiss Alive/35 World Tour, playing arena and stadium shows in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. On March 16, 2008, Kiss closed the Formula 1 ING Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit – Melbourne, Australia as well as performing in Brisbane and Sydney as part of this tour. Kiss played at the Rock2Wgtn two-day festival held in Wellington, New Zealand on March 22 and 23, 2008; a festival which also featured Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Poison, Alice Cooper, Lordi, Sonic Altar and Symphony of Screams with special effects provided by WETA Workshop of ''Lord of the Rings'' and ''King Kong'' fame.

Throughout the summer of 2008, Kiss headlined festivals as well as their own shows and played to a record audience of about 400 000 people. As part of this tour Kiss headlined the Download Festival in Donington, England, on June 13. Three days later they headlined the Arrow Rock Festival in Nijmegen, Netherlands. On June 28, Kiss headlined the Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium. It was the last show in the European leg of the 'Alive 35' tour. Monday, Aug. 4, Kiss played at Rockin' The Rally at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally as part of the tour. South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds proclaimed August 4, 2008, to be "Kiss Rock and Roll Day" in South Dakota. In September 2008, both Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley confirmed rumors that the Kiss Alive/35 Tour would continue with a big tour of North America in the beginning of 2009, a big tour in South America, when Kiss played in April 5 in Argentina, April 7 and 8 in Brazil, April 14 in Peru (first Kiss show ever in Peru) and other concerts in Venezuela (first Kiss show ever in Venezuela) and Chile, in the mid-end of the 2009 year Kiss came back to North America to continue the Alive/35 tour, starting at July 18 in Halifax, NS.

''Sonic Boom'' and ''Monster'' (2008–present)

More than ten years after their last studio album, and following years of denials about ever wanting to do a new album, Stanley and Simmons changed their minds. In November 2008, Paul Stanley stated to rock photographer Ross Halfin that a new Kiss album was in the works. Stanley himself would be the producer, and the album would have a "real 70s Kiss sound" to it. Later that month, Simmons and Stanley both publicly confirmed the information about a new Kiss album.

The band appeared on ''American Idol'' in May 2009 performing with Adam Lambert, singing "Detroit Rock City" and "Rock and Roll All Nite".

In July 2009, Paul Stanley announced a release date of October 6, 2009 for the new album ''Sonic Boom''. It included a CD of new material, re-recorded versions of famous Kiss hits (previously released as ''Jigoku-Retsuden'', a Japanese exclusive album in 2008) and a live DVD in Buenos Aires, Argentina. "Modern Day Delilah" was announced and released as the lead single off of ''Sonic Boom'' on August 19, 2009 to radio. The song was Kiss' first single release in 11 years, the song's predecessor being "You Wanted the Best" which was released in 1998 off the band's ''Psycho Circus'' album. Due to early previews of the album, the song has gained positive feedback from both critics and fans, and has been compared to the band's '70s work. In support of the new album, Kiss appeared live on ''Late Show with David Letterman'' on October 6, 2009 and on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' on October 7, 2009. ''Sonic Boom'' debuted at Number 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 108,000 copies in its first week of release.

On September 25, 2009, the Kiss Alive/35 North American Tour kicked off at Cobo Arena in Detroit, MI; both nights were filmed for future DVD release. These were the band's final performances there, as the venue was scheduled to be closed, however it is still holding events to this day (such as the Carnage Tour with Slayer & Megadeth, in August 2010). The tour was originally scheduled to conclude on December 6, 2009, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX, however, several additional shows have been added and the last performance is now scheduled for December 15 in Sault Ste. Marie.

Kiss headlined Voodoo Fest 2009 held at City Park in New Orleans, Louisiana on Halloween Night.

During their performance at the MTS Centre on November 9, 2009 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, one of the lighting trusses caught on fire from a pyro cue. The truss had to be lowered in to have the fire put out. During the five or so minutes it took to extinguish the fire, the band broke into the song "Firehouse". No one was hurt and the show continued on.

Kiss started the European leg of the Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour in May 2010. Tragedy struck Kiss for a third time, when their former manager Bill Aucoin died of cancer on June 28, 2010 at the age of 66. Stanley and Simmons said he was like the fifth member of Kiss. The tour included their first UK arena shows in 11 years and their first visit to Slovakia. Kiss later played at two dates in US cities Cheyenne, Wyoming and The North Dakota State Fair in Minot, North Dakota in July 2010. They also played at the Indiana state fair in August and the Minnesota State Fair in September. They also made a brief appearance at S.P.A.C. (Saratoga Performing Arts Center) in Saratoga, New York on August 17, 2010. On July 23, Kiss started The Hottest Show on Earth Tour in the United States. The tour saw the band play numerous shows throughout the US, Canada and Mexico.

On April 13, 2011, Kiss began recording a new album due for release later in the year. Gene Simmons stated, the album "is gonna be the next step to ''Sonic Boom''. Very similar — straight rock songs, no ballads, no keyboards, no nothing, just rock."

In March 2011, while visiting Israel, Simmons announced that he had plans to bring Kiss to Israel. In May 2011, Kiss announced the first ever KISS Kruise to set sail in October 2011. The cruise will feature many activities such as the Kiss Halloween Party, Kiss Q&A; on the Lido Deck and two Kiss shows (one of which is an acoustic show with no make-up), along with other artists.

Originally set for release in the fall of 2011, the follow up to ''Sonic Boom'' was rescheduled for a January 2012 release, according to Simmons and Stanley during an online chat with fans via Ortsbo. Also, the long awaited ''Kissology: Volume Four'' DVD will be released at the same time the new album hits shelves. In addition, Stanley revealed that the cover of the new album will be similar to that of ''Destroyer'' but painted by another artist.

Kiss spent the summer of 2011 playing venues in the United States and Canada, visiting cities to which they have not been in a while. They have dubbed this the "Lost Cities Tour." According to www.kissonline.com, the tour ends in Verona, New York.

On August 15, 2011, Kiss was added to the roster to perform at the Michael Jackson tribute concert. On August 17, 2011, after controversy surrounding past negative comments about Michael Jackson made by Simmons, the band was removed from the lineup.

On August 21, 2011, it was announced on the Kiss website that the next album would be called ''Monster''.

Musical style

Because of the ambiguity in the distinction between "hard rock" and "heavy metal", Kiss' music has always been labeled one or the other. But shortly after the band's formation, critics called them "thunderockers". They also experimented in the disco (''Dynasty''), pop rock (''Unmasked''), art rock/progressive rock (''Music from "The Elder"'') and grunge (''Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions'') styles. Their music is described by Allmusic as "a commercially potent mix of anthemic, fist-pounding hard rock, driven by sleek hooks and ballads powered by loud guitars, cloying melodies, and sweeping strings. It was a sound that laid the groundwork for both arena rock and the pop-metal that dominated rock in the late '80s." Its first critical review described Kiss as "an American Black Sabbath" in ''Rolling Stone''. "With twin guitars hammering out catchy mondo-distorto riffs and bass and drums amiably bringing up the rear," said ''RS'' of ''Hotter Than Hell'', "Kiss spews forth a deceptively controlled type of thunderous hysteria, closely akin to the sound once popularized by the German Panzer tank division." At the same time, Bennington Banner from ''Rock Music'' magazine said, "with its members bizarre, Kabuki-like makeup, studded black leather costumes and arsenal of on-stage firepower – both musical and literal – Kiss represents the most extreme form of hard rock in 1974."

Band members

;Current members

Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar (1973–present)

Gene Simmons – vocals, bass (1973–present)

Eric Singer – drums, percussion, vocals (1991–1996, 2001–2002, 2004–present)

Tommy Thayer – lead guitar, vocals (2002–present)

;Former members

Ace Frehley – lead guitar, vocals (1973–1982, 1996–2002)

Peter Criss – drums, percussion, vocals (1973–1980, 1996–2001, 2002–2004)

Eric Carr – drums, percussion, vocals (1980–1991)

Vinnie Vincent – lead guitar, vocals (1982–1984)

Mark St. John – lead guitar (1984)

Bruce Kulick – lead guitar, vocals (1984–1996)

Makeup designs

or The Wiz

Discography and filmography

Awards and nominations

See also

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart

List of best-selling music artists

References

Literature

Gebert, Gordon G.G. and McAdams, Bob (1997). ''Kiss & Tell''. Pitbull Publishing LLC. ISBN 0-9658794-0-2.

Gebert, Gordon G.G. (1999). ''Kiss & Tell More!''. Pitbull Publishing LLC. ISBN 0-9658794-1-0.

Gill, Julian (2005). ''The Kiss Album Focus (3rd Edition), Volume 2''. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 1-59926-358-0.

Gill, Julian (2005). ''The Kiss & Related Recordings Focus: Music! the Songs, the Demo, the Lyrics And Stories!''. Xlibris Corporation. ISBN 1-59926-360-2.

Gill, Julian (2006). ''The Kiss Album Focus (3rd Edition), Volume 3''. Booksurge Publishing. ISBN 0-9722253-5-8.

Lendt, C.K. (1997). ''Kiss and Sell: The Making of a Supergroup''. Billboard Books. ISBN 0-8230-7551-6.

Sherman, Dale (1997). ''Black Diamond: The Unauthorized Biography of Kiss''. Collectors Guide Publishing Inc. ISBN 1-896522-35-1.

Simmons, Gene, Paul Stanley, and Waring Abbott (2002). ''Kiss: The Early Years''. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-609-81028-6.

Tomarkin, Peggy (1980). ''Kiss: The Real Story, Authorized''. Delacorte Press. ISBN 0-440-04834-6.

Moore, Wendy (2004). ''Into the Void... With Ace Frehley''. Pitbull Publishing LLC. ISBN 0-9658794-4-5.

External links

Category:Kiss (band) Category:American hard rock musical groups Category:Bands with fictional stage personas Category:Glam metal musical groups Category:Heavy metal musical groups from New York Category:Musical groups established in 1973 Category:Musical groups from New York City Category:Musical quartets

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Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
name	Eric Singer
background	solo_singer
birth name	Eric Doyle Mensinger
alias	"The Catman"
born	May 12, 1958Cleveland, Ohio, United States
instrument	Drums, percussion, vocals, harmonica
genre	Hard rock, heavy metal, Power metal, Glam metal
occupation	Musician, songwriter
years active	1984–present
associated acts	Kiss, Alice Cooper, E.S.P., Avantasia, Lita Ford, Gary Moore, Black Sabbath, Badlands, Brian May, Gilby Clarke, The Cult, Warren DeMartini
website	Official website }}

Eric Doyle Mensinger (born May 12, 1958 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA), better known as Eric Singer, is a hard rock and heavy metal drummer for the rock band Kiss and formerly for singer Alice Cooper. Over the past two decades Singer has appeared on over 75 albums and 11 EPs.

Early career

Singer began playing drums from an early age, and was inspired by bands such as Humble Pie, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Beatles and Queen and drummers such as John Bonham, Keith Moon, Cozy Powell, Roger Taylor, Bill Ward, and Buddy Rich.

Singer's first professional drumming job was as Lita Ford's touring drummer in 1984. In 1985 he joined Black Sabbath, replacing original drummer Bill Ward, who had left the band after the Live Aid reunion. Singer would participate in the recording of the albums ''Seventh Star'' and ''The Eternal Idol'' and was invited by his Black Sabbath colleague Ray Gillen to join the latter's new formed band Badlands. Singer accepted and played on the band's self-titled debut album. Singer left the group in 1989 as he would join Paul Stanley as his touring drummer on his solo tour of America and Canada. He also briefly appeared in the 1989 Wes Craven film Shocker. Singer played with Olivia Newton-John in the music video for Culture Shock. He later revealed in an interview that he obtained that gig because he was working for Lita Ford at the time.

Career with Kiss

In December 1991, Eric Singer officially became the drummer for Kiss after the death of Eric Carr. Singer, who had performed with Paul Stanley on his club tour along with Bob Kulick two years earlier, was hired and debuted with the band on the album ''Revenge'', on which he was originally slated to fill in on some tracks while Eric Carr recuperated from heart cancer. Singer played on ''Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions'' and toured with Kiss until 1996, when the band reunited with original drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley for the Alive/Worldwide Tour.

After five relatively quiet years, during which Singer toured with Queen guitarist Brian May, Singer was asked to rejoin Kiss in 2001 after Criss' departure shortly before the Australian and Japanese leg of Kiss' Farewell tour. Singer debuted in full "Catman" make-up and costume for the first time on the tour, causing some animosity because the "Catman" character had previously been solely portrayed by Criss, including during many of the band's successful years; even when Eric Carr replaced Criss, Carr did not don the makeup (he portrayed the "Fox" until Kiss dispensed with the makeup in 1983). Singer was replaced again by Criss in 2003 but returned to the band by the end of the year after Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley opted not to renew Criss' contract. Since then, Singer has been playing drums in Kiss as their permanent drummer. In 2009, Singer, along with lead guitarist Tommy Thayer, played and sang on the new Kiss album ''Sonic Boom'', the first studio album to feature the new line-up.

Singer also was said to be a great drummer in a 2008 interview by Peter Criss, despite the fact that Peter Criss is upset about Singer using his image.

Career with Alice Cooper and other projects

When not touring with Kiss, Singer performed with Alice Cooper. Singer had been a member of Cooper's band since the release of the album Brutal Planet in 2000. Singer had already performed with Cooper years earlier, during the tour for the album Hey Stoopid. Singer has featured on three Alice Cooper albums to date, namely, ''Brutal Planet'', ''The Eyes Of Alice Cooper'', and ''Along Came a Spider''. Due to his growing commitments with KISS as well as with his side project ESP, he has not played in Alice Cooper's band since 2008.

He has also occasionally performed and recorded with his own Eric Singer Project, featuring, among others, his former Kiss bandmate Bruce Kulick and former Mötley Crüe lead singer John Corabi. Three releases have resulted from this collaboration: the studio album ''Lost And Spaced'' (1998), consisting completely of covers from classic rock songs; the live album ''Live In Japan'' (2006); and the DVD ''Live At The Marquee'' (2006).

Singer has also played in the band Avantasia, replacing drummer Alex Holzwarth after a guest performance in the song "Into the Unknown" from the album ''The Metal Opera Part II''. Two EPs and one full album have been released with Singer's performance on the drums: ''Lost in Space Part I'', ''Lost in Space Part II'', and ''The Scarecrow'', and on several songs from The Wicked Symphony and Angel of Babylon.

Equipment

Singer is a loyal endorser of Pearl drums, hardware and pedals, Terry Bozzio Attack signature drumheads, Zildjian Cymbals and Ddrum acoustic drum triggers.

Actual Kiss live set-up (2009 - 2010)

;Drums

Pearl

Pearl Masters

Smoked acrylic

24" x 15" bass drum x2

12" x 8" Tom

13" x 8.5" Tom

16" x 14" floor tom

18" x 16" floor tom

8" x 7" Tom (to left of hi-hat)

10" x 8" Tom (to left of hi-hat)

14" x 6.5" free-floating snare

;Cymbals

Zildjian

14" Avedis Rock Hi-Hat x1

21" K Custom Hybrid Ride x1

19" Z3 Medium Crash x8, 8" Splash on the upper part (invertide),

16" Oriental China Trash x1

9,1 / 2" Zil-Bel X1

8" A Custom Splash x1

6" A Custom Splash x1

12" Z3 Splash x1

;Percussion

Latin Percussion

LP Bongo Bell Chrome x1

;Hardware

Pearl

C1000 straight stand x 5

Pesados boom stand B2000

H2000 hi-hat stand

S2000 Snare Stand

P2000C pedal x2

Titular ch70 platillos

T2000 double Tom stand

75X cencerro titular

HA100 BD / archivo adjunto HH

;Drumsticks

Zildjian

"Eric Singer Artist Series" size 2B

;Electronics

DDrum

Pro Drum Triggers (on each drum)

Miscellaneous information

Singer has his own Signature Series snare drum and artist series drumsticks, "Pearl Signature Series Eric Singer" snare drum and Zildjian "Eric Singer Artist Series" drumsticks.

Singer's cymbal setups can include up to 8 of the same 19” Z3 Medium crash cymbal. He also uses Attack drumheads. Singer uses a variety of Pearl snares live and in the studio, including his own Signature model. He also has been known to use the Steve Ferrone signature snare, various Brass models and Free Floating snares for live use.

See also

References

Notes

External links

The Official Eric Singer Website

Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:Alice Cooper members Category:Kiss (band) members Category:Black Sabbath members Category:The Gary Moore Band members Category:American rock drummers Category:American heavy metal drummers Category:Badlands (American band) members Category:Eric Singer Project members Category:The Cult members Category:Union (band) members Category:People from Cleveland, Ohio

ca:Eric Singer cs:Eric Singer da:Eric Singer de:Eric Singer es:Eric Singer fr:Eric Singer it:Eric Singer hu:Eric Singer mk:Ерик Сингер nl:Eric Singer ja:エリック・シンガー no:Eric Singer pl:Eric Singer pt:Eric Singer ro:Eric Singer ru:Сингер, Эрик simple:Eric Singer sk:Eric Singer fi:Eric Singer sv:Eric Singer

Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
name	Paul Stanley
background	solo_singer
birth name	Stanley Harvey Eisen
alias	"The Starchild"
born	January 20, 1952Manhattan, New York, United States
origin	Queens, New York, United States
instrument	Vocals, guitar, bass
genre	Hard rock, heavy metal
occupation	Musician, songwriter, producer, painter, actor
years active	1970–present
label	New Door Records/Universal Music Group
associated acts	Kiss, Wicked Lester
website	Official websiteKISS Online
notable instruments	Ibanez PS10 and Destroyer (late 70's and early 80's, Mid 90's)Washburn Signature Models (Mid-late 90's and present)Silvertone Signature Models (Mid-2000's) BC Rich Guitars (80's and Early 90's) Gibson Flying V(mid 70's), Gibson Explorer(late 70's) Randall Amplifiers (1990's – 2010) Engl Amplifiers (Since 2010) }}

Stanley Harvey Eisen (born January 20, 1952), better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and one of two primary lead vocalists of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's highest-charting hits. Stanley established the "Starchild" character for his Kiss persona.

Career

Kiss

Before Kiss, Paul Stanley was in a local band, Rainbow (not to be confused with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow) and was also a member of Uncle Joe and Post War Baby Boom. Through a mutual friend of Gene Simmons', Stanley joined Simmons' band Wicked Lester in the early 1970s. The band recorded an album in 1972, but as of 2010 it has not been officially released (although songs from the album appeared on Kiss's 2001 box set). Wicked Lester soon fell apart and Stanley and Simmons placed ads for a drummer and a guitarist in various New York papers. This resulted in Peter Criss and Ace Frehley joining the group, and they named themselves Kiss. Kiss released their self-titled debut album in February 1974.

thumb|left|120px|The Starchild Stanley's persona in Kiss was "The Starchild" utilizing one star over his right eye. For a brief time, Stanley changed his make-up character to "The Bandit", with a "Lone Ranger" style mask design make-up pattern. This make-up design would only be used during a few mid-1973 shows, soon to be replaced by the now famous "The Starchild" make-up design and persona. In his book ''Sex Money Kiss'', Gene Simmons admits that Stanley was the driving force for Kiss during the makeup-free 1980s, while Simmons was feeling lost without his demon makeup and was distanced from the band while attempting to launch a film career.

In 2006, Stanley resumed his association with Washburn Guitars and using the Washburn PS2000. Previously, he has had four signature guitars made by Silvertone, and tweaked the Ibanez Iceman to his specifications, calling it the PS10.

In 2007 (prior to the final show of the Hit 'N Run Tour on July 27), Stanley was hospitalized with tachycardia. In his absence, Kiss performed live as a trio for the first time in decades. Previously, Kiss performed as a trio at Studio 54 in New York City for an international satellite broadcast on January 28, 1982, lip-syncing the song "I" from Music from "The Elder" for the Italian Festival della canzone italiana, also known as the San Remo Festival, when Ace Frehley failed to show for the performance due to what was described at the time as a "mystery illness". The July 27, 2007 concert is the first Kiss concert Stanley has missed during his 34 year tenure with the group.

In September 2007, Stanley took part in Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp as a guest star for his second time in New York City. In 2009 Paul Stanley recorded 3 voice ads for the charity KARS4KIDS. Stanley continues to tour with Kiss; the KISS 2010 The Hottest Show on Earth Tour (a continuation of the Sonic Boom Over Europe Tour which was itself a continuation of the Kiss Alive/35 World Tour) which started March 2010 and ended at Guadalajara, Mexico in October.

Solo career

Stanley has very rarely recorded or performed outside of Kiss. He wrote and recorded material for a solo album in 1987–88, which was shelved in favor of the Kiss compilation, ''Smashes, Thrashes & Hits''. While never officially released, songs such as "Don't Let Go" and "When Two Hearts Collide" have circulated as bootleg recordings. One song from the project, "Time Traveler," was released as part of the Kiss's 2001 box set.

In 1989, he embarked on a brief club tour. His touring band included guitarist Bob Kulick and future Kiss drummer Eric Singer. Also in 1989, Stanley loaned his voice to the title track for the soundtrack of the Wes Craven horror flick "Shocker".

In 2005, a bootleg CD began circulating entitled ''People, Let Me Get This Off My Chest: The Very Best of Paul Stanley's On Stage Banter''. The fan-made disc compiled 70 tracks worth of Stanley's distinctive song introductions and on-stage banter.

Twenty-eight years after releasing his first solo album (as part of the four simultaneously released Kiss solo albums), Stanley released a second album, ''Live to Win'', on October 24, 2006. The title song of his solo album, "Live to Win", appeared on the ''South Park'' episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft". In October and November 2006, Stanley embarked on a theater tour in support of ''Live to Win''. His touring band was the house band from the CBS TV show, ''Rock Star''. The band appeared on both seasons of the show – ''Rock Star: INXS'' and ''Rock Star: Supernova''. The band was composed of Paul Mirkovich (keyboards), Jim McGorman (guitar), Rafael Moreira (lead guitar), Nate Morton (drums), and Sasha Krivtsov (bass). In April 2007, Stanley extended the tour to include Australia, playing in Coolangatta, Wollongong, Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide. Portions of the tour were filmed for a documentary titled ''Paul Stanley: Live to Dream'' by the Chicago-based Film Foetus. The band's performance at the House of Blues in Chicago was captured on film and released in 2008 on DVD and digital audio download formats as ''One Live Kiss''.

In 2008, Stanley sang a duet with Sarah Brightman, "I Will Be with You", on her ''Symphony'' album.

Other projects

In 1999, Stanley starred in a Toronto production of ''The Phantom of the Opera'', in which he played the role of The Phantom. He appeared in the musical from May 25 to August 1, and again that year from September 30 to October 31, 1999.

Stanley made his debut as a painter in 2006, exhibiting and selling original works of art.

Stanley collaborated with Boston-based power pop group Click Five on their hit single, "Angel To You (Devil To Me)".

Personal life

Stanley was born in Manhattan, New York and moved to Queens as a teenager. He is Jewish. He attended The High School of Music & Art in New York City and graduated in 1970.

Stanley has microtia. His ears have a deformity of the pinna (outer ear). He is an ambassador for the charitable organization AboutFace, an organization that provides support and information to individuals with facial differences and has appeared at fundraising events and in videos to raise awareness.

In 2001, Stanley's wife, Dallas native Pamela Bowen, filed for divorce. They have one son, Evan Shane Stanley, born June 6, 1994. On November 19, 2005, Paul Stanley married longtime girlfriend Erin Sutton at The Ritz-Carlton, Huntington in Pasadena, California. They had their first child, Colin Michael Stanley, on September 6, 2006. The couple had their second child, Sarah Brianna, on January 28, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. On August 9, 2011, the couple had their third child, Emily Grace.

Stanley has had two hip replacement surgeries: one after the "Rock the Nation" tour in October 2004, and a second in December 2004 after complications arose from the first surgery. He has announced that he will require a third hip surgery in the future. Stanley regards the degeneration of his left hip as partly the product of thousands of shows performed in Platform Boots since the early 1970s.

Award

Stanley was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2006

Stanley got the Showman Of The Year award of the Classic Rock Awards for 2008

Stanley received the Classic Gold Telly Award for his concert film ''One Live Kiss'' in 2009.

Discography

Kiss

Solo career

''Paul Stanley'' (1978)

''Live to Win'' (2006)

''One Live Kiss'' (2008) – DVD and digital download from Amazon.com and iTunes

References

External links

Paul Stanley official website

Kiss official website

Interview with Paul Stanley

Interview with Paul Stanley from 1999

Category:1952 births Category:American heavy metal guitarists Category:American heavy metal singers Category:American painters Category:American record producers Category:American rock guitarists Category:American rock singers Category:American tenors Category:Jewish American musicians Category:Living people Category:Kiss (band) members Category:People from Queens Category:Musicians from New York City Category:Rhythm guitarists Category:American Jews

bg:Пол Стенли ca:Paul Stanley cs:Paul Stanley da:Paul Stanley de:Paul Stanley es:Paul Stanley eu:Paul Stanley fa:پال استنلی fr:Paul Stanley (artiste) hr:Paul Stanley id:Paul Stanley it:Paul Stanley hu:Paul Stanley mk:Пол Стенли nl:Paul Stanley ja:ポール・スタンレー no:Paul Stanley pl:Paul Stanley pt:Paul Stanley ru:Стэнли, Пол simple:Paul Stanley sk:Paul Stanley sh:Paul Stanley fi:Paul Stanley sv:Paul Stanley

Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
Name	Soulja Boy
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	DeAndre Cortez Way
Alias	Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Born	July 28, 1990 Chicago, Illinois
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Occupation	Rapper
Genre	Hip hop
Years active	2007–present
Label	Stacks on Deck/Interscope
Associated acts	Arab, Mr. Collipark
Website	}}

DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, entrepreneur, and internet personality.

In September 2007, his single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was initially self-published on the internet, and it later became a number-one hit in the United States for seven non-consecutive weeks starting in September 2007.On August 17 Way was listed at #18 on the Forbes list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings of 2010 earning $7 million for that year.

Way has currently released three studio albums and one independent album: his debut studio album ''Souljaboytellem.com'' (2007) was certified platinum by the RIAA. However, his next two albums, ''iSouljaBoyTellem'' (2008) and ''The DeAndre Way'' (2010) did not match the commercial success of his debut, the latter only selling 80,000 copies, despite the success of several singles across both albums, such as "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" and "Turn My Swag On" (''iSouljaBoyTellem'') and "Pretty Boy Swag" (''The DeAndre Way''), the latter later being certified gold by the RIAA.

Early life

DeAndre Way was born in Chicago and moved to Atlanta at age six, where he became interested in rap music.

Career beginnings

At age 14, he moved to Batesville, Mississippi, with his father, who provided a recording studio for Way to explore his musical ambitions. Way founded his record label "Stacks on Deck Entertainment" in 2004. While Way was signed under Interscope and Collipark Music, he claimed that his label had distribution deals with Interscope, Universal Records, and Koch. In November 2005, Way posted his songs on the website SoundClick. Following positive reviews on the site, he then established his own web pages on YouTube and MySpace. In March 2007, he recorded "Crank That" and released his first independent album ''Unsigned & Still Major: Da Album Before da Album'', followed by a low-budget video filmed demonstrating the "Crank That" dance. By the end of May 2007, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" received its first airplay and Way met with Mr. Collipark to sign a deal with Interscope Records.

Music career

2007-08: souljaboytellem.com

On August 12, 2007, the song appeared on the Emmy-award winning HBO series ''Entourage'', and by September 1, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot RingMasters charts. Way's major label debut album ''Souljaboytellem.com'', which was reportedly recorded using just the demo version of FL Studio, was released in the United States on October 2, peaking at #4 on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums charts.

For the 50th Grammy Awards, Way was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song with "Crank That (Soulja Boy)". He lost to Kanye West's and T-Pain's "Good Life".

''Souljaboytellem.com'' received a favorable review from Allmusic, but received mainly negative reviews from other sources such as ''Entertainment Weekly''. Several reviewers credited Soulja Boy with spearheading a new trend in hip-hop, while speculating he will likely be a one-hit wonder.

2008-09: iSouljaBoyTellem

The follow-up to ''souljaboytellem.com'', ''iSouljaBoyTellem'', was released on December 16, 2008, to negative critical reception. The first single from the album, "Bird Walk", peaked at number 40 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the top 20 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart it was performed on the first ''YouTube Live'' on November 22, 2008, with an introduction from MC Hammer. "Kiss Me Thru the Phone", with Sammie, followed, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks charts. Chris Brown was originally Way's first choice to sing the hook, but respectfully turned down the offer. Way then tried to do it on his own with Auto-Tune but he found it unacceptable. It sold over 2,000,000 digital copies in the United States, becoming his second song to reach the two million mark in downloads.

On January 26, 2009 Way released his third single "Turn My Swag On". it topped the US Rap Charts and peaked at #19 on the Hot 100. it has so far sold over 1,000,000 digital downloads in the US. It became Soulja Boy's third song to sell 1 million or more downloads.

2009-2010: The DeAndre Way

''The DeAndre Way'' is Way's third studio album, Way has stated that the album is intended to be his most personal and successful album thus far. When speaking on possible collaborations, he stated he wished to work with artists such as Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Kanye West, Eminem, among others. The lead single from the album, "POW", was released in January 2009 but failed to garner success and was dubbed a promo single. On October 30, 2009 Way released three mixtapes ''Paranormal Activity'', ''Dat Piff'' & ''Cortez''. Then it was announced on February 18, 2010 that the first single from the album was gone be "All Black Everything" but it was cancelled & was just put on his promotional mixtape ''Legendary''. The album was titled "The DeAndre Way" but was changed in early 2010 to ''Dre'' with a commercial video snippet for "Do It Big" as the first single but it was cancelled as well. However it was reverted back to ''The DeAndre Way'' in July 2010.

But on June 8, 2010, the official lead single from the album was "Pretty Boy Swag". The single has reached number thirty-four on the Billboard Hot 100, number six on the Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number five on the Billboard Rap Songs chart. The album's second single was due to be "Digital" but it was just used on his promotional mixtape ''Best Rapper''. Then it was announced that "Speakers Going Hammer" was gone be the second single, but "Blowing Me Kisses" was released on August 31, 2010 as the second single instead. On October 13 Soulja Boy performed "Pretty Boy Swag" & a snippet of his third single "Speakers Going Hammer". On October 19, 2010 Way finally released "Speakers Going Hammer" on iTunes the single peaked at #48 on the ''Hot R&B; & Hip Hop tracks'' Billboard. ''The DeAndre Way'' was released on November 30, 2010 it has so far has only sold 70,000 copies making this Way's lowest selling album. Soulja Boy was to be part of the Summerbeatz tour held in Australia alongside Flo Rida, Jay Sean and Travie McCoy in November 2010, but in lieu of his current album release date Soulja Boy had declined the offer & just embarked on his Who They Want tour.

2011-present: Mixtapes and Respect My Hustle

On January 22, Way released his first mixtape of 2011 ''Smooky'' which cover featured a cartoon version of Way on a bicycle doing a 360. Then On March 17, 2011 Way released the mixtape ''1up'' which cover was based on the Naruto anime Way stated "If I was in a video game, this mixtape would advance me to the next level with an extra life. Power up with the new offering". On April 20, 2011 Way released his mixtape ''Juice'' which cover was based on the ''Juice'' the movie Way stated he would also released a mini movie of his own to go along with the mixtape Way stated that he was headed to greatness with the mixtape. In September 2011, Way confirmed he is working on a new album, called ''Respect My Hustle'', which will be released in October.

Personal life

Legal issues

On December 9, 2007, Way was sued by William Lyons (a.k.a. Souljah Boy of Mo Thugs Family) who created the stage name "Souljah Boy" in 1996.

On October 7, 2009, Way was arrested on one count of obstruction, a misdemeanor, for running from police when he'd been ordered to stop. The rapper was released on $550 bond.

In May 2011, Way and his labels were sued by a local Pennsylvania promoter for failing to make promised payments in connection with a rescheduled concert.

Victim of robbery and assault

On December 30, 2008, Way was robbed and assaulted in his home. Initial reports indicated that the robbers were six masked men with AK-47s and pistols but on December 31, 2008, video clips surfaced on the Internet of two masked men claiming sole credit for the crime. Soulja Boy described the incident to MTV News a month later: He had come home very late at night after attending an album release party and was recording songs with friends when the robbers came in pointing their guns.

Family tragedies

On March 22, 2011, Way's little brother Deion Jenkins was killed in a car crash on Sunday night. Then on March 24, 2011 Way's older brother threatened to committ suicide.

Controversies

Way's music has been banned from some school dances for sexual and violent content or innuendo. However, he has denied these claims. In the original YouTube video for "Shootout", Soulja Boy demonstrates his dance while holding a handgun in each hand and pretending to shoot into the audience.

Nas

On February 25, 2008, Way said in an interview that "Nas killed hip hop and his own career". Way later apologized for his comments.

Ice-T

In June 2008, on DJ Cisco's ''Urban Legend'' mixtape, Ice-T told Way to "eat a dick" and criticized Way for "killing hip-hop" and his song "Crank That" for being "garbage" compared to the works of other hip-hop artists such as Rakim, Das EFX, Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube. The two then traded videos back and forth over the Internet. Rapper Kanye West defended Way by arguing that the younger artist created a new, original work for hip-hop, thus keeping the authentic meaning of the music. The feud was parodied in a 2010 episode of The Boondocks.

Charles Hamilton

On December 9, 2008, Charles Hamilton commented in a interview by saying that Way was making it harder for new artists to be signed. Way responded by saying "X out the Sonic and fuck with Mario, you might want to got damn eat a mushroom." Charles Hamilton responded with the diss song "Im You Last Year With Talent". Then the diss song "Word Aight".

Bow Wow

On February 2, 2009, Way challenged Bow Wow to a race in their Lamborghinis and claimed Bow Wow's Lamborghini was a rental. On February 4, 2009 Bow Wow proved that he owned his Lamborghini and said "its halloween in Bankhead for you everyday nigga..you scared..you all nervous and shit". Way responded on twitter by saying "HE FUCKED UP!!!! IM BOUT TO SHITTTT ON THIS NIGGA!! LOL!!!!!". On February 7, 2009 both artist sent diss songs to each other such as Way's "Fuck Bow Wow" & Bow Wow's "What I Think About You". Later that day during a phone conversation both rappers settled their differences.

Fabolous

On December 28, 2010, Fabolous during a radio interview commented on the claim that Way does cocaine, saying "pretty boy swag but never coke my nose though", a reference to Way's song "Pretty Boy Swag. "Soulja Boy went on a tirade on Twitter in response, saying "I ignore dis foo like 5x before this. fuck that. If you send some niggaz to spray me @myfabolouslife at least I die I real nigga fuck you boy." 50 Cent also took to Twitter to say, "leave him the f*** alone before somebody get hurt." Way and Fabolous ended their beef on a radio interview.

"Let's Be Real"

In September 2011, Soulja Boy released the song "Let's Be Real". One of the lines of the song went: ''"Fuck the FBI and the army troops ... fighting for what? Be your own man ... I'll be flying through the clouds with green like I'm Peter Pan."'' After the song was released, Soulja Boy was highly criticized by the military members and their families, especially in regards to the timing relative to the 10th anniversary of the September 11 Attacks. Soulja Boy apologized, "When I expressed my frustration with the US Army, not only did my words come out wrong, I was wrong to even speak them." He adds, "So, I write this to give my sincerest apology to all members of the United States military services, as well as their families that were offended by my most recent lyrics." Representatives for Soulja Boy have indicated that the song has been pulled from his upcoming album, ''Respect My Hustle,'' and will not be available for sale. They are also attempting to remove the video from the internet.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Souljaboytellem.com'' (2007)

''iSouljaBoyTellem'' (2008)

''The DeAndre Way'' (2010)

''Respect My Hustle'' (2011)

Tours

''Americas Most Wanted'' (2009)

''Who They Want'' (2011)

Filmography

Film
! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
2007	''YouTube Live''	Himself	Small Role
2008	''What's at Stake?'''	Himself	Small Role
2009	''School Gyrls''	Himself	Cameo
2010	''Malice N Wonderland''	Soulja	Small Role
2011	''TBA''	''TBA''
Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	! Notes
	''The Ellen DeGeneres Show''	Himself
''Last Call with Carson Daly''	Himself
	''Live with Regis''	Himself	Minor appearance
''Access Granted''	Himself	For his music video for "Bird Walk"
	''When I Was 17''	Himself
''The Mo'Nique Show''	Himself
''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon''	Himself
''Lopez Tonight''	Himself
''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''	Himself

Awards and nominations

BET Awards

*2007: Best New Artist (Nominated)

*2008: Viewer's Choice Award: "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (Nominated)

*2009: Viewer's Choice Award: "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (Nominated)

BET Hip-Hop Awards

*'2007: Best Hip-Hop Dance (Won)'

Grammy Awards

*2008: Best Rap Song: "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (Nominated)

Ozone Awards

*'2007: Patiently Waiting: Mississippi (Won)'

*2008: Best Breakthrough Artist (Nominated)

*2008: TJ's DJ's Tastemaker Award (Nominated)

Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

*2007: Favorite Male Singer (Nominated)

Teen Choice Awards

*2009: Choice Music: Rap Artist (Nominated)

*2009: Choice Music: R&B; Track for "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (Nominated)

*2009: Choice Music: Hook Up for "Kiss Me Thru the Phone"

*2009: Choice Music: Artist (Nominated)

See also

List of artists who reached number one in the United States

References

External links

Official website

Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Mississippi Category:African American actors Category:African American rappers Category:African-American businesspeople Category:African American film actors Category:American film actors Category:American film producers Category:American hip hop record producers Category:American Internet personalities Category:American music industry executives Category:American music video directors Category:American pop musicians Category:American record producers Category:Businesspeople from Mississippi Category:Hip hop musicians Category:Hip hop singers Category:Interscope Records artists Category:People from Panola County, Mississippi Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Rappers from Chicago, Illinois Category:Rappers from Mississippi

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Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
name	Gene Simmons
birth name	Chaim Weitz (; ‏)
alias	"The Demon"
born	August 25, 1949Tirat HaCarmel, Israel
background	solo_singer
occupation	Musician, songwriter, producer, actor, businessman
genre	Heavy metal, hard rock, glam metal
instrument	Bass, vocals, guitar, piano
associated acts	Kiss, Wicked Lester
years active	1963–present
website
notable instruments	Cort Signature GS-1Gene Simmons Signature model }}

Gene Simmons (born Chaim Weitz ; August 25, 1949) is an Israeli-American rock bassist, singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and businessman. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.

Simmons was ranked number 12 in Roadrunner's list of 50 Best Frontmen in Metal History.

Early life

Chaim Weitz (later Gene Simmons) was born at the Rambam Hospital in Haifa, Israel in 1949. Mother and children emigrated to Jackson Heights, Queens in New York City when he was eight years old. His mother Flóra Klein was born in Jánd, Hungary. The German name Klein (means: small) translates to Hungarian as ''Kiss'', that gave the rock band's name. Florence and her brother, Larry Klein, were the only members of the family to survive the Holocaust. Simmons' father, Feri Witz, also Hungarian-born, remained in Israel. Simmons says the family was "dirt poor," scraping by on bread and milk. In the United States, Simmons changed his name to Eugene Klein (later Gene Klein), adopting his mother's maiden name. He attended Yeshiva Torah Vodaath in Williamsburg, Brooklyn as a child, from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Music career

Simmons became involved with his first band, Lynx, then renamed The Missing Links, when he was a teenager. Eventually, he disbanded The Missing Links to form The Long Island Sounds, the name being a play on words relating to the estuary separating Long Island from Westchester County, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island. While he played in these bands, he kept up odd jobs on the side to make more money, including trading used comic books. Simmons attended Sullivan County Community College in Loch Sheldrake, New York. He then joined a new band, Bullfrog Bheer, and the band recorded a demo, "Leeta"; this was later included on the Kiss box set.

thumb|left|120px|The Demon Simmons formed the rock band Wicked Lester in the early 1970s with Stanley Harvey Eisen (now known as Paul Stanley) and recorded one album, which was never released. Dissatisfied with Wicked Lester's sound and look, Simmons and Stanley attempted to fire their band members; they were met with resistance, and they quit Wicked Lester, walking away from their record deal with Epic Records. They decided to form the ultimate rock band, and started looking for a drummer. Simmons and Stanley found an ad placed by Peter Criscoula, known as Peter Criss, who was playing clubs in Brooklyn at the time; they joined and started out as a trio. Paul Frehley, better known as Ace Frehley, responded to an ad they put in ''The Village Voice'' for a lead guitar player, and soon joined them. Kiss released its self-titled debut album in February 1974. Stanley quickly took on the role of lead performer on stage, while Simmons became the driving force behind what became an extensive Kiss merchandising franchise. The eye section of his "Demon" makeup with KISS came from the wing design of comic book character Black Bolt. In 1983, while Kiss' fame was waning, the members took off their trademark make-up and enjoyed a resurgence in popularity that continued into the 1990s. The band hosted their own fan conventions throughout 1995, and fan feedback about the original Kiss members reunion influenced the highly successful 1996–1997 Alive Worldwide reunion tour. In 1998, the band released ''Psycho Circus'',. Since then, the original line-up has once again dissolved, with Tommy Thayer replacing Ace Frehley on lead guitar and Eric Singer (who performed with Kiss from 1992 up through 1996) replacing Peter Criss on drums.

Instruments

Gene Simmons has used various bass guitars during his career including:

Axe Bass (Kramer, jackson, b.c. rich and now Cort)

Punisher Bass (B.C.Rich, Now made by Cort)

Spector Gene Simmons Signature

Pedulla Basses (mainly in the 1980s and early 1990s)

Gibson Grabber (mainly in Kiss' early years)

Gibson Ripper (mainly in Kiss' early years)

Custom lebau bass (wicked lester, very early kiss circa 73-74)

Cort Guitars Signature GS-1 Bass

He uses Ampeg SVT CL Series amps with 8x10 cabinets. He uses Silver Herco Flex .75 Nylon Flat Guitar Picks. In 2010 Gene Simmons collaborated with Cort Guitars to make his own signature bass line called the GS-AXE-2.

Film and television career

Simmons has been the creative force behind such television projects as:

''My Dad the Rock Star'', a cartoon by the Canadian animation company Nelvana, about the mild mannered son of a Gene Simmons-like rock star;

''Mr. Romance'', a show created and hosted by Simmons on the Oxygen cable television channel;

''Rock School'', a reality show in which Simmons tries to make a rock band out of a group of students of Christ's Hospital School in the first season, and in the second, a group of kids from a comprehensive school in Lowestoft;

''Gene Simmons Family Jewels'', a reality show documenting the personal lives of Simmons, his girlfriend, his son and daughter

On March 9, 2011, Simmons and Kiss co-founder Paul Stanley and E! Entertainment announced that they have finalized a production and development deal to create an as-yet-untitled comedic half-hour kids' television series.

Simmons appeared as a psychic working at the Mystic Journey Bookstore in Venice, California on the American hidden camera prank TV series ''I Get That a Lot''.

Political views

While a self-described social liberal, Simmons was a supporter of the foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration. He supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq, writing on his website: "I'm ashamed to be surrounded by people calling themselves liberal who are, in my opinion, spitting on the graves of brave American soldiers who gave their life to fight a war that wasn't theirs...in a country they've never been to... simply to liberate the people therein". In a follow-up, Simmons explained his position and wrote about his love and support for the United States: "I wasn't born here. But I have a love for this country and its people that knows no bounds. I will forever be grateful to America for going into World War II, when it had nothing to gain, in a country that was far away... and rescued my mother from the Nazi German concentration camps. She is alive and I am alive because of America. And, if you have a problem with America, you have a problem with me".

During the 2006 Lebanon War between Israel and Lebanon, Simmons sent a televised message of support (in both English and Hebrew) to an Israeli soldier seriously wounded in fighting in Lebanon, calling him his "hero".

In 2010, Simmons said he regretted voting for Barack Obama and criticized the 2009 health care reforms. Following Obama's 2011 Mideast speech, in which the President called on Israel and the Palestinians to negotiate a settlement "based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps," Simmons told ''CNBC'' that Obama was gravely misguided. "If you have never been to the moon, you can't issue policy about the moon. For the president to be sitting in Washington D.C. and saying, 'Go back to your '67 borders in Israel' – how about you live there and try to defend an indefensible border – nine miles wide?" Simmons also accused the United Nations of being "the most pathetic body on the face of the earth."

During his visit to Israel in 2011, he stated that the artists refusing to perform in Israel for political reasons are "stupid," referring to artists who canceled planned concerts in Israel.

Personal life

He became a science fiction fan and published several science fiction fanzines, among them ''Sirruish'', ''Id'', ''Cosmos'' (which eventually merged with ''Stilletto'' to become ''Cosmos-Stilletto'' and then ''Faun''), ''Tinderbox'', ''Sci-Fi Showcase'', ''Mantis'' and ''Adventure''. He also contributed to other fanzines, among them ''BeABohema''.

In the late 1960s, he changed his name to Gene Simmons, after legendary rockabilly performer Jumpin' Gene Simmons. Simmons' legal name after arriving from Israel is Gene Klein.

Simmons lives in Beverly Hills, California along with his fiancée, former Playboy Playmate and actress Shannon Tweed. They have two children: a son, Nick (born January 22, 1989), and a daughter, Sophie, (born July 7, 1992). He formerly had live-in relationships with Cher and Diana Ross. Simmons can speak English, German, Hungarian and Hebrew.e

Homecoming visit to Israel

In March 2011, Simmons had a homecoming visit to Israel where he was born. He described the trip as a "life changing experience". He talked about how he still feels that he is an Israeli – "I'm Israeli. I'm a stranger in America. I'm an outsider". While there, Gene met his half brother Kobi, and half sisters Drora, Sharon and Ogenia, the latter two being twins. Simmons has plans to bring his band, KISS, to Israel. He has always said that he is an ardent supporter of Israel. At a press conference in Israel, he spoke both Hebrew and English.

Controversy

In February 2002, Simmons was interviewed on the NPR radio show ''Fresh Air'' and asked about his claim of having had sex with 4,600 women. He told Terry Gross: "If you want to welcome me with open arms, I'm afraid you're also going to have to welcome me with open legs," paraphrasing a lyric from The Who's 1981 hit song "You Better You Bet". Gross replied: "That's a really obnoxious thing to say." At the time, Simmons refused to grant permission to NPR to make the interview available online. However, it appears in print in Gross's book ''All I Did Was Ask'' (ISBN 1-4013-0010-3) and unauthorized transcripts are available. NPR re-broadcast part of the interview in August 2007. Simmons' bandmate Paul Stanley has frequently used the phrase "... welcomed us with open arms and open legs" in onstage patter during Kiss concerts. In 2004, during an interview in Melbourne, Australia, while talking about Islamic extremists, Simmons described Islam as a "vile culture", saying that Muslim women had to walk behind their husbands, weren't allowed to be educated or to own houses. He said: "They want to come and live right where you live and they think that you're evil." Amongst ensuing criticism, Australian Muslim of the Year Susan Carland argued that Simmons' stereotyping of Muslims was inaccurate. Simmons later clarified his comments on his website, saying he had been talking specifically about Muslim extremists. In 2005, Simmons was sued by a former girlfriend, Georgeann Walsh Ward, who said she had been "defamed" in the VH1 documentary ''When Kiss Ruled the World'' and portrayed as an "unchaste woman". A settlement was reached in June 2006. In 2011, Kiss was removed from the lineup for Michael Jackson's tribute concert because of Simmons' allegations and negative comments regarding Jackson's personal life and legal issues.

Awards and recognition

On January 28 in 2011, Simmons was presented the key to the city in Dallas, Texas and a street, Gene Simmons Boulevard, was named for him. On June 15 of the same year he was given the key to the city by Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Filmography

! Year	! Film	! Role	! Bandmates	! Miscellaneous
1978	''Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park''	The Demon	Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley	TV movie
1984		Dr. Charles Luther
1986		Nuke (radio DJ)
1986	''Never Too Young to Die''	Carruthers / Velvet Von Ragner
1987		Malak Al Rahim
1988	''The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years''	Himself	Paul Stanley	Documentary
1989	''Red Surf''	Doc
1999		Himself	Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley	Simmons also produced
2002	''The New Guy''	Reverend
2002	''Wish You Were Dead''	Vinny
2008	''Detroit Metal City''	Jack lll Dark		Japanese movie
2009		Joe Adler
2010	''Expecting Mary''	Taylor
2010	''Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage	Himself		Documentary

Television appearances

! Year	! Show	! Episode	! Role	! Bandmates	! Miscellaneous
1974	''The Mike Douglas Show''	June 11, 1974	Himself	Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley	Kiss' first national television appearance, performed "Firehouse"
1976	''The Paul Lynde Halloween Special''	October 29, 1976	Himself	Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley	The band performed "Detroit Rock City (song)
1985	''[[Miami Vice''	"Prodigal Son"	Newton Blade
1997	''Action League Now!''	"Rock-A-Big-Baby"	Toy version of himself	Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley	Performed "Rock and Roll All Nite"
1998	''MADtv''	October 31, 1998 (#406)	Himself	Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley.	Halloween special; performed in five sketches
2001	''Family Guy''	"A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas"	Animated version of himself	Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley
2001		May 27, 2001	Himself		Won $500,000 for a charity
2001	''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart''	June 12, 2001	Himself		Almost licked Jon Stewart's face in response to Jon being unable to explain the difference between pleasure and joy to a man with a 'twelve-inch tongue'
2002	''Family Guy''	"Road to Europe"	Animated version of himself	Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley
2002		September 6, 2002	Himself
2003	''King of the Hill''	"Reborn to Be Wild"	Jessie
2004	''Third Watch''	"Higher Calling"	Donald Mann
2004	''Third Watch''	"Monsters"	Donald Mann
2004	''Third Watch''	"More Monsters"	Donald Mann
2005	''American Idol''	"Auditions: New Orleans"	Himself- guest judge
2005	''Family Guy''		Animated version of himself/ Prisoner #3
2005	''Mind of Mencia''	Episode #1.7	Himself
2006		August 1, 2006	Himself		Gene Simmons Family Jewels
2007	''SpongeBob SquarePants''	"20,000 Patties Under the Sea"	Sea Monster
2007		"Gene Simmons"	Himself		UK's More4 show
2008	''Entertainment Tonight''	January 2, 2008	Himself
2008	''Jimmy Kimmel Live!''	January 18, 2008	Himself
2008		March 11, 2008	Himself
2008	''Criss Angel Mindfreak''	"Mindfreaking with the Stars"	Himself
2008	''Ugly Betty''	"The Kids Are Alright"	Himself
2008	''Ugly Betty''	"A Thousand Words by Friday"	Himself
2008		Episode #3.9	Himself		Won $500,000 for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation charity
2008		First three episodes	Himself		Fired in the third episode
2008	''Jingles''		Celebrity judge		Mark Burnett reality show
2009	''Glenn Martin DDS''	Glenn Gary, Glenn Martin	himself
2009	''American Idol''	Season Finale	Himself	Eric Singer, Tommy Thayer, Paul Stanley	Performed medley of 3 songs with contestant Adam Lambert
2009	''The Fairly OddParents''		Animated version of himself	Eric Singer, Tommy Thayer, Paul Stanley
2009	''The Fairly OddParents''		Animated version of himself	Eric Singer, Tommy Thayer, Paul Stanley
2010	''I Get That a Lot''	Episode 2	As Himself		Simmons appeared as a psychic working at the Mystic Journey Bookstore in Venice, California
2010	''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition''	Episode 160	As Himself		The band Kiss made a personal appearance during the Wagstaff family's vacation in Disneyland and honored them as special guests at one of their concerts. Kiss also made a personal appearance at a local school where a donation of new musical instruments was made in the Wagstaff family's name.
2010	''I'm in a Rock 'n' Roll Band!''	Episode 1 And 5	As Himself		Discussing the requirements of being in a rock band.
2011		To Love and Die in LA	As Himself

Video appearances

In 2007, he appeared alongside other celebrities, as well as regular people, in the music video for "Rockstar" by Nickelback.

Video game appearances

Gene Simmons is a playable character in ''Tony Hawk's Underground'', unlocked when completing the story mode on Normal difficulty, and also appears with his Kiss bandmates in the Hotter Than Hell level to play one of three songs upon collecting the four K-I-S-S letters.

Gene Simmons' Kiss character, The Demon, is a playable character in ''Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child''.

Simmons also has a large role in the 2010 music video game ''Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock''. In addition to narrating the main storyline and doing advertising for the game, the Kiss song "Love Gun" is playable.

Discography

Kiss

Solo

''Gene Simmons'' (1978)

''Sex Money Kiss'' (audiobook CD), 2003)

''Asshole'' (2004)

''Speaking in Tongues'' (spoken word CD, 2004)

Publishing career

In 2002, Simmons launched ''Gene Simmons' Tongue'', a men's lifestyle magazine. The magazine lasted five issues before being discontinued.

Published works

''Kiss and Make-Up'', Gene Simmons (ISBN 0-609-81002-2)

''Sex Money Kiss'', Gene Simmons (ISBN 1-893224-86-4)

''Kiss: The Early Years'', Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley (ISBN 0-609-81028-6)

''Kiss: Behind the Mask'', David Leaf and Ken Sharp (ISBN 0-446-96524-6)

''Ladies of the Night: A Historical and Personal Perspective on the Oldest Profession in the World'', Gene Simmons (ISBN 1-59777-501-0)

References

External links

Category:1949 births Category:American entertainment industry businesspeople Category:American baritones Category:American bloggers Category:American heavy metal bass guitarists Category:American heavy metal singers Category:American people of Israeli descent Category:American male singers Category:American record producers Category:American rock singers Category:American voice actors Category:Children of Holocaust survivors Category:Israeli bloggers Category:Israeli heavy metal bass guitarists Category:Israeli heavy metal singers Category:Israeli emigrants to the United States Category:Israeli Jews Category:Israeli male singers Category:Israeli record producers Category:Israeli voice actors Category:Jewish American musicians Category:Jewish singers Category:Kiss (band) members Category:Living people Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Haifa Category:People from Staten Island Category:Science fiction fans Category:Singers from New York City Category:The Apprentice (U.S. TV series) contestants Category:American musicians of Hungarian descent

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